Hubby and I have been planning this year's garden and deciding on what kind of veggies we want- we're hoping the weather will cooperate and we'll be able to plant early this year. Corn and beans are always staples of our garden, but which ones do we want to try? There's so many varieties to choose from.... *sigh*... Burpee, why do you keep sending me your glorious catalog and messin' with my mind?
The weather has been cold, but we're supposed to be having some warmer days on the way.... I'm ready for it!
The raised beds Hubby made for me last year worked great for our cucumbers, sort of okay for the tomatoes and peppers, but not very well for the sweet potatoes. The beds didn't have enough room to stake the tomatoes and dig the sweet potatoes when they were ready. I'm thinking this year we will use one bed for peppers, one for cucumbers, and one for my herbs, and put the tomato plants and sweet potatoes out somewhere more roomy.The Silkies have turned their coop into a regular Melrose Place.... "broody" does not even begin to describe how they're acting right now. Eggs are popping out every day, nests are being guarded fiercely, and the hens are turning on each other. Clementine screeches and pecks Gertie whenever she's less than three feet from her, Gertie is picking on Belle, and my once sweet little Sadie is picking a fight with everybody. She even tried to peck the end of Smokey's nose yesterday. (And yes, you can imagine how well that went over...)
"You talking about me?"No way, Sadie- not me!
Watch your self Paula!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are making me hungry talking about all the veggies you will plant. We had really good success with bell peppers and black eyed peas last year.
Hey, Paula...(wow that was an oldie, LOL) anywhat...Hey, I have the broody girls and the garden bug. It's still too cold to streak through the garden in my quilt squares but not too cold for pea's. :)
ReplyDeleteThis year i am planning to use large containers or raised beds to plant veggies. Tomatoes for sure...tons of those. Herbs too especially basil and parsley and chives...And probably beans and peas, and peppers....and..... oiy!
ReplyDeleteWow, don't mess with HER!! Yikes, she's FIERCE!
ReplyDeleteI'm so jealous that you're talkin' garden already and that your ground is green and thawed out....
{sigh}
I totally suck with gardening, but man, I'd sure love it if it would at least be possible before the middle of May!
Oh, I've always wanted to have a veggie garden...I just wouldn't have a clue where to start!
ReplyDeletewe have the advantage of warm weather most of the year...got tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage and beets going, still have onions from last year, plus our fruit trees are budding out...we put in some blackberry bushes this last fall, which are starting to leaf out so all is good... you can do alot on a 10,000 sq. ft. lot in town.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why the hens are all so short tempered?
just make sure those chickens won't be picking on your plants!
ReplyDeleteMy three geese are acting quite strange too-Titus is the only one laying so far. We do eat the eggs, and they are delicious. One goose egg is worth three chicken eggs (shhh-don't tell your girls that!)!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to gardening too-but this year I'm going to focus on tomatoes, basil and some lettuces. I make an awesome tomato soup-which we finished up a month ago.
Love, Debra
I love that first picture of your property with the rolling hill.
ReplyDeleteI think your chickees are so cute.
We usually do tomatoes and zuchinni and have luck with it, but anything else, not so good.
Love the picture of Sadie! Wonder why they are having so much drama?!
ReplyDeleteNO garden for me this year....we are making a big transition. I am going to have to learn how to garden in a new climate....OH MY!!!
ReplyDeleteIs there such think as chicken nip.....maybe the girls have a stash hidden some where.....you may have to have an intervention!!! Once they head to far down the path of deviancy you may have troubles.....heehee!!! I hope they start playing nice!!!
I like the first picture. The silkie is sure cute and fuzzy.
ReplyDeleteMy Silkies are all fluffed out and scootching each other out of the nest boxes to hoard the clutches of eggs for themselves. Aren't they fun?
ReplyDeleteWe are supposed to be gardening all in containers - which are standing in my side garden waiting attention - like right now since we are having 80 degree days suddenly! I'm going for bok choy, tomato, two kinds of cucumbers, summer and winter squash, mesclun salad mix and radishes oh yeah and onions. that's it - DH said no more tilling the soil in my old garden patch because I don't weed (like at all) and it bothers him to have a messy garden patch. Still hoping for a chicken coop this year - not looking good - he has too many projects going right now.
ReplyDeleteGood morning, Paula! Oh those girls are so funny. Mine are a mess right now. How do you keep them out of your flower gardens? These gals are making a mess of mine.
ReplyDeleteWe are building our raised boxes today and I'm so excited. Maybe I'll actually get a vegetable this year! LOL
Smiles,
Lea
Mr. C and I always do a couple varieties of everything, then the next year we always forget what grew the best, what tasted the best, etc! Maybe this year will be different!
ReplyDeleteDo you grow the Mr. Stripey tomatoes? Mr. C loves those!
Hi Paula!
ReplyDeleteI love the chicken pics best... what a fun bunch you have right about now!! I was SUPPOSED to have my garden plans done a week ago, I'm a little slow, but then I have a general idea at least. Wish I had raised beds... seems easier to mess with. We did get two trees planted though! Happy gardening! Hope the weather starts warming up.
Hope it is warming up for you. I just love the raised beds! Hope your garden plans turn out the way you want. Just love the photos of your silkies! blessings,Kathleen
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to gardening too. Can't wait to get out to dig and plant. Your raised beds look ready to go.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Your gardening beds look great! We want to try the same thing this year...but it should be interesting because unlike you, I have no green thumb!
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend, Paula!
Tammy
Garden season will be here before you know it. I can't wait either.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting excited about this years garden too-and can't wait to eat all that fresh food!!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see what you plant. I too am trying to decide what to plant. I have onions so far. Your girls are just too funny.
ReplyDeleteHugs :)
Irma
We're in a gardening mood around here, too, Paula. I'm glad you mentioned about the raised beds and tomatoes. I think we'll make that end of our raised bed a little deeper and give them more room.
ReplyDeleteAt least your hens are making their own nests. My crazy girls are just making huge nests--everyone involved in laying in it, then abandoning it for a new spot to make another huge nest:( Silly girls!
Our garden plans are madalways subject to change. We will plant tomatoes, peppers, kohlrabi, french breakfast radishes, green beans, red onions, walla walla onions, and red pontiac potatoes. I will also mingle in pleanty of marigolds, zinnias, mommoth sunflowera and a fall mix of sunflowers. Mike says he's planting zucchini out at the lagoon this year. I want him to plant cucumbers, too. I make the best refridgerator pickles. I wanted raisde beds but Mike is having a dump truck full of black dirt brought in to freshen our space. He thinks he may have over fertilized and limed in the previous 2 years. I know the asparagus does better when he adds a layer of black dirt. I have this picture of asparagus and shrimp with a touch of chili peppers and cream cheese poppers in philo dough. We love asparagus season.
ReplyDeleteI could just hug Cecil. That is Cecil, isn't it? He looks like he could use a mediator about now....LOL
My hubby and I have been planning our garden for months. I even purchased a new pressure canner in hopes of putting up veggies. We rented a tiller yesterday and it just sat on top of the ground like it was concrete. We're considering the raised beds. Your's look great.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it just calling out to you!? That's my garden anyhow!
ReplyDeleteBroody hens! yea! I hope they don't overdo. How will you control them?
ReplyDeleteYour gardening plans sound good. I want lots of tomatoes, and am thinking of doing them in a raised bed, with lots of space.
I was salivating over the seed catalog myself the other day! I am hoping to be able to plant in the greenhouse next month! I love love love your silkies! I have one broody Aracauna but not like your girls. She just hides them on me! She follows me around when I collect eggs, and try to find her latest stash spot! Too funny :) Are you going to let any of them keep their eggs?
ReplyDeleteWe did raised beds last year for our tomatoes and it did not work as well as I had hoped! I love the Sadie picture...
ReplyDeleteBecca
Please visit me at http://www.askbecca.com
Hi Paula! Thanks for visiting me on my blog! I noticed you have raised beds, my hubby built some for us several years back, and the strawberries and herbs do great in them, but tomatoes and zucchini don't. I wondered if it would help to mound the dirt up where the plants go to give more root space, have you ever tried that? I thought about trying it to see cause I do love the way the beds cut down on weeding:)
ReplyDeleteHi, I found you through cottage Rose,
ReplyDeleteI'd love a veggie patch! Your chickens are gorgeous! I wish my silkies were really fluffy like yours! they are only half fluff lol.
Great blog.
Love Amy :)
Sadie is so pretty. I bet it's alot of fun watchign them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the commetn. It's not bad news here in the family, its just bad news in general-the economy, people divorcing, illness, crime, etc, etc, etc.
Makes you wonder how much more God will tolerate.
That Sadie is one cute chick!
ReplyDeleteStudley wants to put in a small garden this year (small's the only space we have), and I'm trying to talk him into going with the raised bed. It's the initial start-up expense of filling it with the necessary mixture of soil that keeps him from getting excited about it, but I think I'd like it, 'cept for the tomatoes.
I tried to leave you a message the other day and I don't know what happened but it didn't go through.
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with you I'm ready to get some veggies into the ground. I've been loving these warmer days we have been having and they are putting me more and more in the mood.
Love the pictures! Take Care :)
It was so warm yesterday that I was out push plowing the garden. I can't wait either.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny all the drama in your hen house! Hopefully you'll get some biddies out of it!
Hey Paula! You got me thinking now!!! Can't wait until everything is in full bloom! I LOVE your pie birds!!!! Darling, now off to check out eBay!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Maryjane
I would LOVE to try a small garden.....fresh veggies YUMMY!! I always LOVE seeing pictures of your silkies.... and your stories about them are always so great!!!
ReplyDeleteHow fun to have your own garden! There's nothing like knowing exactly where your food comes from! :)
ReplyDeleteYour silkies are so cute! I love your photos of them! I never knew that chickens could be pretty! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI am envious of your garden beds! I am going to live vicariously through you this Spring/Summer/Fall! LOL! :)
Your chickens are so cute, especially Sadie. How could someone not love that face? I want chickens so bad. I still haven't given up yet. They just might "appear" one day...it's a miracle!..LOL I love your raised vegetable beds. That's what I need to stop the gophers from sucking in the ground...LOL You have so much open space, I bet you get so much out of your garden!
ReplyDelete~Ann
I LOVE your chicken stories and dramas!!! they are so fun ...melrose place on the farm! I would like to try raised beds this year..is there a lot to it?
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by and leaving me such a nice comment...you made my day!
:)Doreen
Come on by I have something for you. Take Care :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a funny picture of your hen! I too am garden dreaming. I poked around in my raised beds yesterday when I was supposed to be fixing horse fences... LOL! It is still too cold here to plant anything except lettuce (and that's in a cold frame). But a girl can dream!
ReplyDeleteI have tears streaming down my face, because, I just read that you are planting your garden already.
ReplyDeleteWe have until mid May before we can set most of our plants in the ground (due to frost.) Rule of Thumb is after Memorial Day...
Broody hens, huh? I had one attack me the other day and when I pulled my arm back I smacked my elbow on a post and bruised it, normally Barred Rocks are mellow, not this one! To think all I waas doing was cleaning her brooding box, crabby ole hen!
Paula, please come over and snatch your award from my blog, your blog is one of my regular visits, cannot go without checking on those farm critters...
Hugs,
Mel
Hi there Farm Chick Paula! It is so nice to 'meet' you! Thank you for visiting and for you sweet comment! I love that we share the same name! You have a lovely blog and I enjoyed seeing your raised beds (I love our raised beds) and your adorable chickens. I hope to keep chickens one day soon! I enjoyed my visit with you.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely day,
Paula
I love popping over here to read about your farm and your cute chickens!!
ReplyDeletePatricia :o)
Oh, Paula!
ReplyDeleteMiss Sadie is scaring ME! Wow! Melrose place, huh?!?!? You're too funny!
I can't wait to hear how your garden is doing! Hubby built me some raised beds and I'm so excited! I'm going to try corn, although when we tried a few years ago, we had no luck. Any tips????
We're also going to try purple hull peas -- if you haven't had any, you might want to. They're delicious and sooooo southern! As well as, Butter Beans.... yuuuummmm!
Many Blessings,
Julie
Do you have any idea why your tomatoes and peppers just did OK in a raised bed? I thought that they would work well in a raised bed. Just curious.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, we are having a give away on my blog. :)
Your garden sounds wonderful! I'm going to have one this year too but not sure where. Maybe pots on the patio?? Sounds a regular soap opera in the hen house!! Sadie looks like she's having major PMS.
ReplyDeleteHey Hey Paula - I'm missing your pictures and stories - what's going on around there? Hope it is you are overwhelmed with good weather days and planting garden like mad.
ReplyDeleteWe are a few weeks behind you! But the snow is melting and our greenhouse guru was over to check out the updated greenhouse. Elliott did his sideways dance but didn't attack so I am taking it as a good sign!
ReplyDeleteYou have given me a great reminder that spring is around the corner and the garden will grow again :)